Speaker
Description
Growing tumors generate and respond to stress in their local environment. On the one hand, local cell divisions and death lead to complex strain patterns in the tissue. On the other hand, tissue re-arrangements can relax the resulting mechanical shear stresses and make the tissue more fluid-like. To predict the outcomes of these nonlinear visco-elastic interactions, we introduce the framework of morphoelasticity to phase field modeling of a growing tumor embedded in a surrounding host tissue.
Coupling this continuum system to diffusible growth-promoting nutrient, our simulations identify a symmetry-breaking instability in 2D and 3D, driven by two primary mechanisms: (i) elastic buckling instabiliies due to differential growth induced by the nutrient gradient and (ii) instabilities generated by apoptosis-related volumetric loss. Further, tissue fluidity and compressibility can lead to changes in tumor topologies. Our modeling framework provides a robust methodology for investigating how tissue mechanics and growth factor signaling influence the progression and invasive potential of solid tumors.